Chennai, Apr 19 (Reporter) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the ruling DMK's flagship scheme 'Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam' (KKT)--a progressive artisans development credit linked subsidy scheme--at Kundrathur in neighbouring Kancheepuram district on Saturday and distributed loans with subsidies to the beneficiaries. The pioneering initiative, aimed at providing skill training to artisans, was announced in the 2024-25 Budget by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and the MSME department issued a Government Order in December 2024. It was a progressive Artisans Development Scheme to provide skill training and support for modernisation to artisans engaged in diverse arts and crafts trades such as tailors, potters and sculptors. The KKT scheme included advanced professional training for persons above the age of 35 years to adapt to their skills and expand their profession in the modern context. Under the scheme, new entrants seeking to joining the handicraft sector will be incentivized with 25 per cent subsidy linked with credit and will be provided skill training and guidance to enhance their marketing skills. The scheme was aimed at benefitting 10,000 people per annum providing artisans with branding and marketing support, focussing on product innovation, diversifiction and contemporisation, while enabling scale-up through formation of artisan enterprise groups and collective and providing common facility centres for trades/professions which exists as a cluster. The scheme cover 25 artisanal trades including carpentry, metal works, masonry,painting, glassworks, stucco works, boat making, lock making, sculpting/stone carving, pottery including terracotta works, basket, mat, broom making and rope weaving, doll/toy making, garland making, fishnet making, tailoring, jewel making, hair designing and grooming, washing, ironing and laundry, leather handicraft and footwear making, traditional musical instruments making, weaving and embroidery, traditional textile printing, beadworks and tribal natural harvests and artisanal products. The criteria is persons should have minimum 5 years of experience in one of the 25 listed trades and the Maximum Eligible Subsidy is Rs. 50,000 (25%) from the loan amount. Mr Stalin launched the scheme and issued loan sanction orders to the tune of Rs 170 crores with Rs 34 crore subsidy to 8,951 beneficiaries and also launched rope and jewellery making and women and embroidery clusters at Peravurani in Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Tenkasi districts respectively, which were created at a cost of Rs 15.16 crore...////...